News Item

The Gentoo Penguins in the Oceanium from Blijdorp have given birth to two young, a premiere for Blijdorp and The Netherlands. In total, three eggs were laid of which two hatched. The parents immediately took care of the young and even build little nests of stones as they would in the wild. This way the eggs and possibly young stay in their place. The Gentoo Penguins arrived in Blijdorp in 2009 and were the first zoo in The Netherlands where they could be seen. These fast swimming penguins share the enclosure with the Emperor Penguins who have also laid (five) eggs...

The Emperor Penguins are not let to breed the eggs themselves. They have been put in the breeding machine by the keepers and replaced with wooden eggs. This way the the animals won't notice the difference and keep breeding. When the chicks hatch, they get quickly returned to the parents so that they can raise them. This trick is done because the eggs of an Emperor Penguin are less likely to make it than those of the Gentoo Penguin.